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Celebrating Kwanzaa with music and dance
Kwanzaa is an annual holiday celebrating African heritage, culture and family values. It is observed primarily in the United States from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1.
NEW YORK - Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration of African heritage, culture and family values, begins today.
Here's everything to know about the holiday.
What we know:
Kwanzaa is an annual holiday celebrating African heritage, culture and family values. It is observed primarily in the United States from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1. The holiday is nonreligious and nonpolitical and is not intended to replace Christmas.
Who created Kwanzaa?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 18: A Kwanzaa decoration is set up outside the New York Stock Exchange on December 18, 2020 in New York City. Many holiday events have been canceled or adjusted with additional safety measures due to the ongoing coronavi …
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, a professor of Africana studies at California State University, Long Beach, and a prominent figure in Afrocentrism. Karenga developed the holiday in the aftermath of the Watts uprising as a way to reconnect African Americans with their cultural roots.
What does the name mean?
The name comes from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, meaning "first fruits." Karenga added an extra "a" to the word kwanza so the name would contain seven letters, representing the seven principles of the holiday. Kwanzaa is not itself a Swahili word.
When is Kwanzaa celebrated?
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 26, 2024 - - Kehinde Johnson, dressed in costume, marches down Crenshaw Blvd. in the 48th edition of the Kwanzaa parade to mark the start of the seven-day African-American festival in the Crenshaw District in Los Angeles on …
Kwanzaa is observed over seven days, from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1, with each day dedicated to a specific principle.
What are the seven principles of Kwanzaa?
Known as the Nguzo Saba, the principles are:
- Umoja (unity)
- Kujichagulia (self-determination)
- Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
- Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
- Nia (purpose)
- Kuumba (creativity)
- Imani (faith)
How is Kwanzaa celebrated?
Miki Conn, co-chair of the Kwanzaa Coalition, left, along with Hassana Rogers, 5, and her brother Jibril Rogers, 8, of Albany light the first candle during the Capital Region Kwanzaa celebration at the New York State Museum on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019 …
Families and communities gather daily to light one candle on a kinara, or candleholder, and discuss the principle of the day. On Dec. 31, many celebrate with a communal feast known as the karamu. Some participants wear traditional African clothing.
What are the symbols of Kwanzaa?
A Kwanzaa display is in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on November 22, 2025. Kwanzaa is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called Karamu, usually on the sixth day. During the ea …
Kwanzaa includes seven symbols, which represent African heritage and values:
Fruits, vegetables and nuts
- A straw mat (mkeka)
- A candleholder (kinara)
- Ears of corn (muhindi)
- Gifts (zawadi)
A communal cup (kikombe cha umoja)
Seven candles (mishumaa saba) in red, black and green
Is Kwanzaa celebrated outside the U.S.?
While Kwanzaa is primarily observed by African Americans in the United States, it is also celebrated in parts of the Caribbean and other countries with large populations of African descendants.
The Source: This report is based on information from the National Museum of African American History & Culture and the